Page 30 - the-tales-of-mother-goose-by-charles-perrault
P. 30

into a by-path, left them there. Little Thumb was not very
         much worried about it, for he thought he could easily find
         the way again by means of his bread, which he had scattered
         all along as he came; but he was very much surprised when
         he could not find a single crumb: the birds had come and
         eaten them all.
            They were now in great trouble; for the more they wan-
         dered, the deeper they went into the forest. Night now fell,
         and there arose a high wind, which filled them with fear.
         They fancied they heard on every side the howling of wolves
         coming to devour them. They scarce dared to speak or turn
         their heads. Then it rained very hard, which wetted them to
         the skin. Their feet slipped at every step, and they fell into
         the mud, covering their hands with it so that they knew not
         what to do with them.
            Little Thumb climbed up to the top of a tree, to see if
         he could discover anything. Looking on every side, he saw
         at last a glimmering light, like that of a candle, but a long
         way beyond the forest. He came down, and, when upon the
         ground, he could see it no more, which grieved him sadly.
         However, having walked for some time with his brothers to-
         ward that side on which he had seen the light, he discovered
         it again as he came out of the wood.
            They arrived at last at the house where this candle was,
         not without many frights; for very often they lost sight of it,
         which happened every time they came into a hollow. They
         knocked at the door, and a good woman came and opened
         it.
            She asked them what they wanted. Little Thumb told her

         30                            The Tales of Mother Goose
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